Changeling High
by jarec
Summary: What must it be like to be a Changeling...in high school? As if the Autumn World wasnt hard enough...
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: This is a new fic I'm working on. Its basically the adventures of a bunch of changelings going through high school. This is a traumatic time for the best of us, and a lot more of who we are is forged in high school than most of us would like to admit.

So what must it be like for a person who literally lives in two worlds?

This story will chronicle a few of the adventures of a band of young changelings, their loves losses and humiliations. This first chapter will just be setting the stage and introducing the characters. Each chapter will include the biography of one of the main players.

Oh and FYI I'm using the Troll's revised rules – a fan alteration- which can be found at the Traitors Gate site (I think)

Attica. Devils Island. Chiangi. Littleton County High School. Loretta Zimmerman would have been happy if her life had led her clear of any of those places. As it was, she supposed she was lucky to be at Littleton. After all, the food was better and virtually no one was ever shot. On the other hand, convicts didn't have to deal with history class…

_Thank Tyr its over for another day_ she thought. Most students disliked classes, but its particularly tough to sit still for an hour, listening to old mrs. Broadie drone on and on about the middle ages when you're a troll. Her parents told a very different side of the Viking era (based on their Past Lives), and so Loretta found Old 'Battleaxe' Broadie's explanations a bit one sided. Not to mention the fact that the girls behind her were constantly whispering 'Lesbo,Lesbo' when they thought she couldn't hear.

That really wasn't fair. Loretta had been open about her boyfriend, and they had been seen (or rather caught) making out in the halls. The whole 'lesbian' thing was down to her height, her muscular (_yet feminine_ she reminded herself) build, her close cut hair (athletes couldn't afford to have it blowing in their faces, and neither could warriors) and her position as captain of the girl's track team and wrestling team. If she were even a little more like her boyfriend… she smiled grimly at what Jonathan would have done to those little skanks. She couldn't really picture it (she was far too gentle a person) but the general picture seemed to involve a heavy book, a slide rule and lots of screaming. Still, it was a nice thought to have as you left your last class of the day.

"What do you MEAN you don't have any money, you little FREAKS! I'M HUNGRY!"

Loretta sighed. "Speak of the devil and you can see that he's Johnny" she muttered as she hurried of to find her beloved, and stop whatever mayhem he was up to.

She turned a corner to be confronted with a familiar sight, at least to the pupils of Littleton. A wiry youth in a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and biker boots was currently terrorizing two smaller students, both of whom were dressed in pink dress shirts and Bermuda shorts with fedoras. Even the girl. At least that's what most people saw. What Loretta saw was quite different. The two victims were Pooka, one a cat-girl, the other a cross between boy and rabbit. She had blue hair white paws, and a long white tail. He had powerful long ears and an odd face, in which mouth and nose almost formed a snout. As for their assailant, he was still wearing the same clothes only now he was a snarling gray skinned monster, with immense flat teeth and wiry dreadlocks dyed bright red. Hardly every day fare, unless you were Kithain.

_Oh, and a six-foot tall blue girl with horns is just business as usual? HAH!_ She thought before yelling "JOHNNY! Let Pixy and Felix go! I'LL give you some food"

Instantly Johnny's attention left the Pooka couple. This was both good and bad. Good, because they no longer had to be worried about being eaten. Bad, because he had forgotten to take his foot of her tail and to release his ear.

"Yeah? Some of those cookies ya made?"

_Same old Johnny. His stomachs not the ONLY way to his heart, but it is the safest. _Loretta nodded and kissed him on the cheek. Johnny grumbled amiably, something about not wanting her to do that in public, and then asked where the food was.

"In the club room, Johnny. You cant get out of seeing the others, you know that. Now get off the pooka, apologize, and lets go"

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry babe. Forgot about em." Johnny whirled around, causing Pixy to flinch "I'm so sorry for my terrible behavior" Perhaps it was some as-yet unknown Redcap Birthright, but Johnny could make even an apology sound like a death threat.

"Not at all. You behaved wonderfully" Pixy said

"Oh yes, wonderfully" Felix said.

"A true gentleman!" they chorused. This was, of course, a lie, but since Johnny hated all gentlemen, he didn't really mind.

The sign on the door said: Pagan Gothic Republican Fantasy Live Action Role-Playing Guild – Members Only.

It had been a truly Pooka idea to set up the club under that name. It was technically open to anyone, but since no Pagan Gothic Republican Fantasy Gamers attended Littleton, no one had ever asked to join. Thus, they had a small haven where they could escape both the Banality of the real world and the politics of the Dreaming. Which was exactly what they all needed. Plus, they could behave as they liked here and everyone would think it was just part of a game.

All the members were there. Aside from Johnny, Pixy, Felix, and Loretta (club President), there were six other changelings. First was Lars Olafsson, another Troll. There were Aristotle and Ophelia Mantarakis the Satyr twins. There was Pyotr Maradovska and Annabelle Proulx, the Sluagh. Finally, Mary Stickland, the boggan. Seating was informal, a wide circle with couples always sitting close together. That meant Loretta and Johnny (despite Lars glare), Pixy and Felix, and Pyotr and Annabelle all sat in their respective pairs.

"Well, this'll be brief" Loretta said "I just wanted to say: Welcome back. I hope we can have a good year together, with none of the…unpleasantness of last spring. Now, lets get to those cookies!"

End Introduction

Loretta Zimmerman

Age: 17

Height:

Seeming: 5'10

As a Troll: 6'

Weight:

Seeming: 145 Lbs

Troll: 175

Chrysalis: Age 7. A boy stole my friends trike and I stepped in to stop him. Next thing I know I'm blue and mother and father are telling me about the Dreaming.

Favorite Class: Gym. I'm a natural athlete and its good to keep in shape.

Least Favorite: History. Honestly, mother and father teach it better.

Loretta was born lucky. The child of two Trolls, she has had the support and guidance most Changelings lack. They have taught her since her Chrysalis, instructing her in the Troll philosophy and their view of history. She loves these lessons, so much so that her parents discontinued her homeschooling and placed her in High School "to keep her grounded in the Autumn World".

Loretta is a fair, kind and above all honest girl. She has only ever lied to her parents about one thing: Her boyfriend. As far as they know, no Redcaps attend Littleton. She has yet to work up the courage to let them know that there are 3 redcaps in town, all Unseelie, and she's dating one.

Her relationship with Johnny is a subject of much rumor among their Kithain friends. She loves Johnny for his courage, tenacity, and wit. She also finds his seeming quite attractive. Moreover, she has discovered a surprisingly keen mind beneath all the anger and hunger.

Her skills as a warrior have yet to be truly tested, of course, but she has skill with a magical shortsword called frost-biter.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Secrets Revealed

Evening found Pixy and Felix riding down Main Street on their pair of enchanted steeds. Pink with purple polka dots, the tireless horses catered down the wide avenues of what was laughingly referred to as 'downtown Littleton' (a public fountain surrounded by a variety of shops and small businesses). The tricksters were wearing their chimerical finest, a silk suit for her and a fine yellow velvet gown for him (its not what you think- it's a Pooka thing).

Of course, none of the normal people saw this. Instead they saw a girl in a yellow rain jacket and a boy in a pink tutu and jeans coasting along on scooters, singing a song about chocolate. The people of Littleton were fairly used to seeing this sort of odd behavior from the members of the Pagan Gothic Republican Fantasy Live Action Role-Playing Guild, especially these two. But the fact that their odd behavior was unsurprising didn't change the fact that Littleton was an extremely conservative town. Hence, the eccentric display earned the lovers many odd looks and a lot of nasty comments. But they didn't care. The two Pooka loved riding together almost as much as they loved playing together, joking together, singing together…In fact, they just loved BEING together.

Not that THAT was all that easy. Both of them were the Changeling children of human parents. Moreover, until their Chrysalis, they had been very different people. 'Pixy' had been Pricilla Coventry the prom queen, head cheerleader and all-American girl. 'Felix' had been Francis Rosenthal, bookish and shy honor student, student council treasurer, and poet. Naturally, both sets of parents were horrified by the way their children had begun to behave; raucous, lying, childish and irresponsible. They stayed out all night, and barely kept up with their schoolwork. Naturally, they blamed the new boy/girl friend as a bad influence, and made every effort to pull the two apart.

This was something the two Pooka were often concerned by, inasmuch as Pooka can be said to be concerned about anything. But not tonight. Tonight they were going to meet their secret friend Malachi. A secret friend was very much to their taste, and a VAMPIRE… well, what Pooka could resist the adventure of THAT? They'd known him for four months now, and he was one of their very best friends.

Malachi was waiting for them by the fountain. He was tall, pale, and skinny, with long white hair that hung to his shoulders. His black trenchcoat, worn over his bare chest, and torn jeans made him seem a bit spooky in the pale light cast by the towns few streetlights. His eyes were gentle, though, and his smile was warm and friendly as he greeted them.

You could barely see his fangs.

"Hello Pixy, Felix. I trust you had no trouble getting here?" Even his voice was kind. It was soothing, and warm.

"Oh, it was awful" Felix replied, his Pooka tongue getting the best of him "We got lost along the way, and had to escape a huge, slavering, befanged monster!"

"TWO monsters!" Pixy chimed in, not willing to let 'bunny-boy' get the better of her.

"TWO monsters? My my my. So, that means…let me guess… hmmm… you dodged around a bully from school, and had a bit of trouble finding me?" He said this with a raised eyebrow, and a mouth that was quirked in half a smile.

The fairy pair just laughed, acknowledging the hit. This was one reason the Pooka liked the vampire. Few people, or changelings, had the patience to deal with 'Pooka-ese'; the mixture of exaggerations, distortions, omissions, and outright lies which Pooka always used. He seemed to take it in stride, and even enjoy it.

"what was it you found, Malachi?" pixy inquired. The vampire had contacted them just about sunrise, telling the pair he had found something 'surprising'. There are few things a changeling loves more than a surprise.

'not here" replied Malachi, a strange smile playing about his lips "Too many of the kine about. Let's take a walk. Do you know Herman Way?"

The two Pooka nodded uncertainly. Herman Way was what might be called the Bad Side of Town; a neighborhood that had largely been inhabited by the employees of the Littleton Steel Works. When the plant closed, however, most of the inhabitants abandoned the area, leaving it open to junkies, drifters and small-time criminals. None of that really bothered the Changelings. What bothered them- no, what SCARED them- was that Johnny the Redcap was said to squat in one of the abandoned buildings here.

Still, they were with their new friend Malachi, right? He could easily protect them, couldn't he? I mean, Loretta's parents were always going on about how dangerous vampires were, so he was probably pretty tough. And anyway, Loretta had Johnny under control now, so he wouldn't do anything TOO crazy, would he? Certainly not. Probably not. Almost certainly very probably not.

The three made their way to the dilapidated section of Littleton. Even here, the town had much more glamour than most places (a tribute to the powerful Freehold that existed in a nearby forest). But in the gray and abandoned streets of Herman Way, that Glamour was sad and dark. What few chimerae could be seen were sickly, sorrowful things. Even the native creatures of the Dreaming had picked up on Herman Way's atmosphere of grayness and despair. Small wonder then that one of the few Unseelie Kithain made his home here.

The Pooka shivered as they walked their horses/scooters along the sidewalk. For the happy light-hearted Pooka this place was anathema. Malachite didn't even seem to notice. He looked about himself with great interest, and nodded happily at the few people walking the streets this evening. And never said a word about his Big Surprise.

Finally the Pooka could bear it no longer. The Big Surprise weighed on their minds. Pooka, despite their animalistic qualities, are possessed of the childish minds (though some would argue that there is little difference between children and animals).

"Come ON Malachi!" Pixy burst out "You've got to tell us this big secret of yours! Don't you know secrets are a Pooka's secret weakness?!"

"Yeah" Felix added, picking up on the lie "If a Pooka knows there's a secret, he HAS to find out what it is or he dies!"

"Really?" Malachi smiled again "Well, we certainly can't have that, can we? Hmmm… well, I suppose I can tell you now… Lean in close"

The Pooka obeyed, leaning in close to the vampire, desperate not to miss a single syllable of his Big Secret.

"I've been worried" Malachi confided in a low voice "about just how long we can be friends. We kindred are immortal, and in fifty or a hundred years time I will still be here, unchanged. You, however, may not be."

The Pooka nodded sadly. Though being Fae offered many benefits, immortality was not one of them. Changelings grew old and died just like normal humans. Worse, as a Changeling aged, its Faery self often withered, dying slowly under the onslaught of Banality. For Pooka, there were few prospects more terrifying.

"I worked hard on a solution to this, because I find your company so exhilarating. I feel so alive when I'm with you two, I couldn't bear to be without you. Unfortunately, I found little to encourage me at first. The Fae cannot be Embraced nor ghouled, which ruled out the usual methods. I have, however, finally discovered a way for us to be together forever."

"What IS IT?!

"I can't tell you HERE!" Malachi replied, as though annoyed they needed to be told this "Its far too public for something so secret! Come on!" With that, the vampire raced down a side street, with the Pooka hot on his heels.

End of part 1

A/N: HA! I told you I was working on my stories! Seriously, Changeling High is one of the hardest for me to write, simply because I know so little about Changeling. I hope this tides you lot over. I'm going to try to increase my productivity as much as I can.

I would like to apologize to all my loyal readers for my shameful lack of attentiveness. The next part will be up REALLY soon!


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